depose

[ dih-pohz ]

verb (used with object)

, de·posed, de·pos·ing.

1. to remove from office or position, especially high office:

   The people deposed the dictator.

2. to testify or affirm under oath, especially in a written statement:

   to depose that it was true.

3. Law. to take the deposition of; examine under oath:

   Two lawyers deposed the witness.

verb (used without object)

, de·posed, de·pos·ing.

1. to give sworn testimony, especially in writing.

depose

/ dɪˈpəʊz /

verb

1. tr to remove from an office or position, esp one of power or rank
2. law to testify or give (evidence, etc) on oath, esp when taken down in writing; make a deposition

Derived Forms

• deˈposer, noun
• deˈposable, adjective

Other Words From

• de·pos·a·ble adjective
• de·pos·er noun
• un·de·pos·a·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of depose¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English deposen, from Old French deposer “to put down,” equivalent to de- de- + poser, from unattested Vulgar Latin posāre, Late Latin pausāre; pose ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of depose¹

C13: from Old French deposer to put away, put down, from Late Latin dēpōnere to depose from office, from Latin: to put aside; see depone

Example Sentences

We put the Shiites in power by stripping the Sunnis of theirs and immediately were caught up in a civil war between the now deposed Sunnis fighting the American-blessed Shiites.

From Time

So one of the first things experts are looking at is whether the Taliban can commit to working with former enemies, including members of the deposed democratically elected government, and actually enforce the amnesty policy they claim to support.

From Vox

He was deposed in 1990 by Idriss Déby, who then ruled the country for three decades before his death in April from battlefield wounds sustained amid a conflict with rebels.

From Washington Post

“It appears to be a publicity stunt in service of a new conspiracy theory by Alex Jones filed for the abusive purpose of deposing a highly prominent person who has no relation to this case,” the plaintiffs wrote in one filing.

From The Daily Beast

Ever since Yanukovych was deposed, Ukraine’s new leadership has turned more decisively toward the West.

From MIT Technology Review

They also sought and were denied the opportunity to depose the president.

From The Daily Beast

In London, where I met him on several occasions over the last decade, he invariably boasted of his latest efforts to depose Putin.

From The Daily Beast

Douglas Vassy, the attorney for Battley who was supposed to depose Gingrich, says, “There was no deposition.”

From The Daily Beast

He encouraged cross-border rebels seeking to depose the government of Chad.

From The Daily Beast

Mass movements can depose a leader; or, indeed, as with Barack Obama, elect one.

From The Daily Beast

In the lull of waiting, Aaron Logan wondered—wondered how one so small hoped to depose one so fierce and stubborn.

From Project Gutenberg

We may now regard the claim of the Pope to depose princes as a harmless dream; but at that time it was a stern reality.

From Project Gutenberg

If they want to depose him, I only wish they would not set me up as a competitor.

From Project Gutenberg

The first step they took was to depose their faint-hearted Viceroy and set up Liniers in his place.

From Project Gutenberg

He could depose prelates and excommunicate the greatest personages; he enjoyed enormous revenues; he was vicegerent of the Pope.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• demote
• dethrone
• dismiss
• impeach
• overthrow
• unseat